bang, bang I am the warrior
How did the Warrior Dash go down? It was exactly like this classic video by Scandal, only with more mud and less dancing, but only slightly less dancing.
It was a little longer than a 5K. There was 12 more obstacles to conquer than you're typical 5K, unless you count heat as an obstacle. So, 11 more obstacles to conquer than something like the Redlegs Run For Home 5K. There was a lot more mud than you're typical 5K. It was a hell of a lot more fun than any 5K I've ever run.
As we lined up at the starting line. Beth asked, "so are you sticking with the group?" Well, maybe...I can't make any promises. A few minutes later the race began with a burst of flames from over the start line. Shootin' at the walls of heartache bang, bang I am the warrior. It was on. Once the race is on all bets are off. I stayed with the group for about....well I didn't.
The race is a bit of a blur. Looking back at the course map doesn't really help. I could swear we hit the slithering swamp and the junkyard jam a lot earlier in the course. Here are my impressions of the race:
The fire goes off and we're running. I'm thinking I need to slow down. I need to slow down. It's so hot I'm gonna regret taking off fast. I turn to the runner next to me as I often do during a hot race and say, "It's so damn hot...milk was a bad choice." Then I run away while the runner is laughing or looking confused. Either way I win.
We hit some woods and blessed shade and....mud! The trail is slick as hell as we wind our way along the trails. I scamper across the planks. Don't fall..don't fall...don't fall...
Junkyard jam...I jump, I climb over old beat up cars....
Run...run...down a muddy slope into and dive into a huge watery mud pit. OMG it stinks...
Running, or more like jogging, as I'm soaked from head to toe and covered in mud. I can see out of one sunglasses lens. Water! Me: "how many glasses of water can I take?" volunteer: "as many as you need." I grab a couple and douse my sunglasses to see again.
Run...run...tires, legs so tired...run, run....hay...climbing...cargo net...climbing...about a million little hills...legs so tired...
After being slightly singed it was back into the mud as we crawled under barbed wire (for real) and on to the finish!
I found out later that I came in with a very respectable time of 25:50. After the race it didn't really matter what the times were. To the victors go turkey legs and beer...and we were all winners.
More photos to come....
